Richard Gadd warns ‘I know the facts’ in first statement over $170,000,000 Baby Reindeer case

Richard Gadd has vowed to share his ‘personal knowledge’ of the facts involved in Baby Reindeer and is standing by Netflix’s motion to dismiss Fiona Harvey’s lawsuit.

The alleged ‘real Martha’, Harvey, is suing Netflix for $170,000,000 (£132,000,000), alleging defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and violations of her right of publicity.

The harrowing series, created by and starring Richard Gadd, follows aspiring comedian Donny Dunn being stalked by a woman named Martha, after a seemingly friendly encounter turns sinister and obsessive.

Over seven episodes, his ordeal grows as she begins waiting outside his house, sending him thousands of emails, and even harassing his parents and turning violent towards his girlfriend.

The programme opens with ‘This is a true story’, but the woman claiming to be the real Martha has insisted the show is ‘a work of fiction, a work of hyperbole’.

‘I wanted to rebut that completely on this show – I am not a stalker, I have not been to jail, I’ve not got injunctions – it is complete nonsense,’ she said in her explosive Piers Morgan interview.

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However, though Gadd is reportedly not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, he has vowed to stand by Netflix.

According to Deadline, he states in a declaration submitted in federal court in response to Harvey’s lawsuit: ‘I am a comedian, writer, and actor. I created, wrote, and starred in the Netflix series Baby Reindeer (the ‘Series’).

‘I have personal knowledge of the facts set forth below and, if called as a witness, could and would testify competently thereto. I submit this declaration in support of defendants Netflix, Inc., and Netflix Worldwide Entertainment, LLC’s special motion to strike.’

Netflix are said to be arguing for a dismissal of the lawsuit.

Gadd says: ‘Overall, it was an incredibly stressful and worrying time, with a sustained period of relentless behaviour taking place over several years.

‘It is impossible to be exhaustive in setting out all of Harvey’s conduct, as there were so many instances of unwelcome personal interaction and attempts to engage, as well as deeply troubling communication.’

Echoing previous comments about not wanting the the real-life identities of his characters to be discovered or commented on by internet sleuths, he adds: ‘I never intended the Series to identify any real person as Martha Scott, including Harvey.

‘Martha Scott is not Fiona Harvey. Like all characters in the Series, Martha is a fictional character with fictional personality traits that are very different than Harvey’s.’

Deadline notes that portions of his declaration have been blacked out, because Netflix want it sealed.

‘I was surprised that Harvey appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored,’ Gadd’s statement adds.

‘Though I have only watched certain segments, I understand she claimed that she was the inspiration for the Martha character, and that she never sent me thousands of emails nor left me any voicemails.

‘She harassed and stalked me over several years, and since her interview, other individuals have contacted me through my agents and publicists and said they were also harassed by Harvey, but all were too scared of her to come forward.’

After the success of Baby Reindeer and Harvey’s Morgan interview, more celebrities and politicians came to discover they’ve allegedly been hounded by her in the past.

Following Harvey’s lawsuit, Netflix vowed to stand by Gadd’s right to tell his story, declaring in a statement: ‘We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story.’

The lawsuit alleges Netflix told ‘brutal lies’ about her in the Netflix series, which opens with: ‘This is a true story.’

The complaint says: ‘The lies that Defendants told about Harvey to over 50 million people worldwide include that Harvey is a twice-convicted stalker who was sentenced to five years in prison, and that Harvey sexually assaulted Gadd.

‘Defendants told these lies, and never stopped, because it was a better story than the truth, and better stories made money.’

It continues: ‘As a result of Defendants’ lies, malfeasance and utterly reckless misconduct, Harvey’s life had been ruined. Simply, Netflix and Gadd destroyed her reputation, her character and her life.’

Previously speaking about the process of turning his ordeal into a TV show, Gadd told Metro.co.uk he wanted Baby Reindeer ‘to be three-dimensional’.

‘I wanted it to be nuanced. I just remember my idea of stalking in life was so different to what actually happened,’ he said.

‘My idea of what a stalker was, was that they are fundamentally, sort of, psychopathic characters. But it just wasn’t that case. I saw someone very vulnerable, really.’

He added there was no ‘moral point for people to take away’ but there was ‘a subtle reference to the fact that this is a vulnerable person who needs help’.

He elsewhere said the show ‘exists in a sort of fictional realm, even though it’s based on truth, it exists in a fictional realm, let’s enjoy the world that I’ve created’.

Baby Reindeer is available to watch on Netflix.

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